Wow, where do I start? I was just charged by a big grizzly bear.
I just got back to my camper in the National Forest just outside of Grand Teton National Park. I went hiking with my dog in the National Forest and was charged by a grizzly bear – twice – !!
The adrenaline was pumping during the attack. So much goes through your mind when a 500-pound grizzly comes charging at you.
Don’t run. Make yourself look tall. Shout to the bear. Back away slowly. Have your can of bear pepper spray ready to discharge on the charging bear.
It worked. I’m glad to be alive to be typing this.
It started out as another ordinary afternoon. Living full-time in our RV and staying busy as a wildlife photographer, I’m out almost daily searching for interesting things to photograph. When hiking in one of America’s National Parks, I hike alone. When I’m in a National Forest, you’re allowed to take a dog with you. So off I went with my dog in tow.
About a mile into the hike, I spotted grizzly bear footprints in the snow. Cool! As I was taking some pictures of the prints, the dog barked at crows flying about 50 yards (or meters) away. I’m used to that: she doesn’t seem to like big birds. Usually, she barks a few times and the birds fly away. This time, however, they stayed put. Strange. (This should have been my first clue.)
